Orlando’s innovation economy just added another anchor. AMD officially opened its Research and Design Center in Central Florida, reinforcing what many already knew: this region has been quietly building deep tech leadership for decades. When I was with the Orlando Economic Partnership years ago, I met with AMD’s leadership in Austin and knew they saw something in Orlando most hadn’t. This week, they made it official. 

This isn’t a bet. It’s a decades-in-the-making move and one of many signals that Orlando’s momentum is real. 

National Confidence Meets Local Talent 

AMD’s new R&D center supports more than company growth. It advances Florida’s statewide Semiconductor Engine initiative and builds on 26 years of AMD presence in Orlando. In 2021, AMD partnered with UCF on a year-round research program. Students collaborate with AMD PhDs to solve real GPU and AI challenges, and 80% of those interns become full-time hires, twice the industry average. 

GPUs, originally built for graphics, now power everything from AI to cloud computing. AMD’s new facility will develop the next generation of GPU tech right here in Central Florida Research Park. 

This expansion was made possible by the collaboration between the Orlando Economic Partnership, Orange County Government, and AMD’s long-standing relationship with the University of Central Florida. 

National recognition followed across multiple fronts: 

• Carolina Cruz, interim executive director of UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training, was named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50: Innovation list. A pioneer in immersive tech and co-inventor of the CAVE VR system, Cruz laid the foundation for much of today’s global VR research. She chose to lead here for a reason. 

• Melissa Stires joined The Digital Economist’s 2025–26 Senior Executive Fellows cohort. As Head of Global Growth at Mia AI and CEO of the Fundamental Wellbeing Foundation, she champions inclusive tech, global collaboration, and women in AI. She’s led billion-dollar fundraising efforts, spoken at Davos and Cannes Lions, and now brings that global energy to Orlando. 
• AdventHealth Orlando was ranked Florida’s top hospital and among the nation’s top 20 by U.S. News & World Report. That places it in the top 1% of more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide, meaning Central Floridians have access to world-class care close to home.

These aren’t scattered wins. They’re signals that Orlando is a region where national firms place long-term bets. 

Talent Is the Engine 

The University of Central Florida launched its Institute of Artificial Intelligence with a clear goal: to meet national AI workforce demands. It joins a growing lineup of talent pipelines: 

• High school girls completed a unique coding and AI mentorship program at the Tech Hub Orlando. 

• UCF launched a USA-Brazil student research initiative in electrified aviation. 

• Zaheer Ali was named director of UCF’s Space Commercialization and Strategy Initiative. 

Orlando doesn’t just attract talent. It builds it and connects it across industries. With more than 500,000 college students enrolled within a 100-mile radius of downtown, this pipeline isn’t just deep, it’s interoperable. From GPUs to game engines, medical simulations to space tech, Orlando’s technical talent anchors a region built to invent what’s next. 

Defense Training Is Getting Smarter 

The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy announced a new joint maritime training program in Orlando, expected to save $10 million annually starting in 2026. Led by PEO STRI and NAWCTSD, it builds on decades of local interoperability. 

Meanwhile, Orlando-based defense tech continues to deliver: 

• Red 6 and Northrop Grumman expanded autonomous systems partnerships. 

• Mass Virtual built XR maintenance training for the U.S. Air Force’s MH-139A helicopters. 

• Dynepic secured $1.25M in funding to expand MOTAR, its platform for training airmen. 

Orlando’s $6 billion figure represents a substantial share of a global simulation software market estimated at roughly $20–24 billion, and even more relative to the global military simulation sector. 

Space Investments Multiply 

Vaya Space won a $1.2M AFWERX contract to advance hypersonic propulsion. NASA’s EMERGE program launched across Florida. And UCF’s space initiative is aligning research and workforce strategy statewide. 

Orlando’s alignment with the Space Coast dates back to our founding as Florida Technological University, a school built to support the space industry, and it lives on in every lab and launch support system here today. 

Ecosystem in Motion 

Plug and Play debuted its Lake Nona health tech accelerator with support from KPMG, GuideWell, and Orlando Health. Ten to twelve startups launch Aug. 4 at the GuideWell Innovation Center. 

Pat Greene is reigniting local creative energy at the Melrose Center, a 26,000-square-foot public tech facility inside the Orange County Public Library. Melrose features a video studio, podcast booth, photography space, makerspace, fiber arts lab, rehearsal rooms, and even flight and forklift simulators, all free and accessible. It’s one of the most accessible tools in our innovation landscape. 

The Florida High Tech Corridor continues to invest in undergraduate research, ensuring students across the region get early exposure to real-world problems and opportunities. Anchored by UCF, USF, and UF, the Corridor spans 23 counties and operates as a force multiplier, aligning academic, industry, and economic development resources to unlock exponential potential. 

From Headlines to Street-Level Energy 

I saw this ecosystem in action last night. Tech Hub Orlando hosted Orlando Devs for a packed conversation on the junior developer talent gap. Across town, the Creative City Project held its annual Immerse artist call in Winter Park. I saw familiar faces at both, developers and creatives brainstorming how to collaborate on this year’s immersive exhibitions. We’re working on a way to connect those dots officially. Stay tuned… 

And the Maker Faire returns for this 13th year at the Central Florida Fairgrounds on Nov. 8-9, proving once again that this region doesn’t just consume tech. It builds with it. 

Why It Matters 

Orlando isn’t just collecting headlines. It’s running a coordinated offense. 

From GPUs to game engines, defense sims to immersive art, the work happening here compounds. Students trained by AMD PhDs go on to shape the future of AI.  Local devs and artists are already dreaming up new collaborations for Immerse. This is what a functioning innovation economy looks like; one that’s both human and high-tech. 

This is why the work at Innovate Orlando matters. We’re not just surfacing stories. We’re building connective tissue. 

Check out the open RFI for the next-gen ecosystem map, due next week. And reach out if you want to get involved. 

This isn’t just momentum. It’s infrastructure. And infrastructure becomes power. Orlando is making itself inevitable. 

— Sheena

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